Letting Go
by Ilex the Elder
Summary: After a friendly battle accidentally results in the death of one of Tracey's Pokemon, Ash feels responsible.
1. Chapter 1

"Hey, Tracey, is Professor Oak around?"

Tracey turned around from the flowerbed he and his Scyther were attending to and saw a dark-haired boy in a baseball cap carrying a basket. At the boy's feet was a small yellow mouse-like Pokémon.

"He's busy in the lab, Ash," Tracey told his friend. "What's in the basket?"

"Mom was busy doing some baking today and sent you guys over some extra blueberry muffins."

Tracey wiped the dirt off of his hands and reached into the basket. "Yum, these are good," he smiled as he stuffed one in his mouth.

"Tracey! Mom said to give these to Professor Oak!" 

"Oh, he won't miss one," Tracey said between bites. "Besides, I'm starving. Scyther and I have been working outside all morning." He handed his Pokémon a bite of muffin.

"What are you guys doing?" asked Ash as he set the basket down on the grass.

"We're weeding the garden so that some of the grass-type Pokémon can move over here. Scyther's been helping me cut down some of the tall ones, right?"

"Scy," his Pokémon nodded.

Pikachu scampered over to his friend and the two Pokémon began having a conversation.

"Pika!" ("Hi, Scyther!")

"Scyther." ("Hello, Pikachu.")

"Pika-pi?" ("Are you helping Tracey weed the garden?")

"Scyther. Scy?" ("Of course I am. What does it look like I'm doing?")

"Pikachu." ("It looks like hard work.")

"Scy? Scy! Scyther! Scyther-scy." ("Hard? This isn't hard! Battling is hard! I'd rather be battling than doing this.")

"Pikachu." ("But gardening is important.")

"Scyther! Scyther-scy! Scyther!" ("Don't patronize me! I'm not so old that all I'm good for is cutting flowers! Matter of fact, let's battle right now!")

"Chuuu…" ("Hey, wait, Scyther…")

"Scyther?!" ("Are you going to battle with me or not?!")

Scyther slashed one of its sickle-like claws in Pikachu's direction.

"Hey! What are you doing, Scyther?" a shocked Tracey exclaimed. 

"Be careful, Scyther! You almost hurt Pikachu," Ash admonished the angry-looking Pokémon.

"Sorry, Ash," Tracey apologized. "But you know how Scyther is. Sometimes it seems like all he wants to do is battle."

"Well, why don't we have a battle then?" Ash grinned. "Pikachu and I are always looking for a good battle, aren't we?"

"Piakchu," Ash's Pokémon said somewhat reluctantly. It was still confused as to why Scyther had become so upset with it.

"How about a one-on-one battle? Me and Pikachu versus you and Scyther," Ash said as he walked to the other end of the garden.

"Okay," Tracey agreed as he put down his rake. "Feel up to battling, Scyther?"

The large bug-type Pokémon slashed the air savagely with its claws.

"Scyther!" ("I'll show you that I'm as strong as any young Pokémon!")

"Guess that means 'yes'," Tracey said as he and Scyther took their places at the other end of the garden.

"You can make the first move," Ash said. "Just because Scyther's so old and all."

That was the wrong thing to say. The enraged Pokémon didn't wait for his trainer's command, but began advancing rapidly on Pikachu with a series of slashing motions.

"Scyther? What are you doing? Stop it!" Tracey reprimanded his Pokémon as Pikachu quickly jumped out of the way of Scyther's flying claws.

"Scyther!" the Pokémon yelled fiercely as it whirled around and slashed at Tracey, narrowly missing his arm.

"Scyther, what in the world's come over you?" a shocked Tracey said as he checked to make sure Scyther's claw hadn't drawn any blood.

"Looks like Scyther really wants to fight today," said an equally shocked Ash. 

"Scyther, I think you'd better stop now," Tracey told his Pokémon, who was beginning to pant from the effort. "You're getting too overworked."

Scyther shook its head vehemently.

"Then let's give him a fight, Pikachu! Thundershock now!" Ash ordered.

As Pikachu's red cheeks began sparking, Tracey regained his wits and turned his attention back to the battle at hand. "Scyther, Double Team!"

Pikachu looked up and appeared to be surrounded by multiple Scythers.

"Focus, Pikachu! Focus on the real Scyther and hit him with your Thunderbolt!" Ash commanded.

As Pikachu concentrated on locating the real Scyther, Tracey saw an opportunity.

"Scyther, give Pikachu a taste of your Swords Dance!"

As Scyther began whirling about furiously, Pikachu struggled to stay on its feet.

"Hang in there, Pikachu! Don't let Scyther blow you away!" Ash encouraged his Pokémon. 

"Now, Scyther! Hit him hard with your Headbutt!"

Before Pikachu had time to react, Scyther ran headlong into the unlucky Pokémon and sent him sailing into the air. The force of the impact also sent Scyther crashing to the ground. Pikachu landed with a _thump_ next to Tracey's Pokémon.

"Pikachu," panted the dazed Pokémon. ("You win.")

"Scyther," whispered the exhausted Pokémon as its eyes closed. ("Thank you, my friend.")

"Whoa, guess this one's a draw," Ash said as he ran to his Pokémon's side. "Are you okay, buddy?" Ash asked as he helped his Pokémon to its feet.

"Pikachu," the little Pokémon said weakly.

"Wow, that was awesome, Scyther!" Tracey said as he knelt down next to his Pokémon. 

"Let's get Pikachu and Scyther inside so they can get some rest," suggested Ash as Pikachu made a shaky attempt to stand up.

"Yeah, sounds like a good idea. Right, Scyther?" Tracey gently touched his Pokémon's shoulder. When Scyther's eyes didn't open, Tracey shook Scyther's shoulder harder and the Pokémon's head lolled limply to one side. "Scyther?" When Scyther didn't respond, Tracey laid his hand on his Pokémon's chest. "Oh my, God! Ash, go get Professor Oak now!" Tracey said frantically as he began to perform CPR on his fallen friend. 

Ash stared in disbelief at his friend as he tried desperately to resuscitate his Pokémon.

"Ash, didn't you hear me? Go get the Professor now!" Tracey ordered as he pushed on his Pokémon's chest.

Snapped out of his shock, Ash turned to Pikachu. "Pikachu, go get Professor Oak! Hurry!"

The recovered Pokémon dashed across the yard and through the back door into the lab, where he found Professor Oak sitting at his desk, reading a scientific journal.

"Hello, Pikachu," Professor Oak smiled at his visitor. "It's always nice to have you stop by for…"

"Pikachu! Pika-pi!" the Pokémon said frantically as it leapt onto the desk and gestured in the direction of the backyard.

"Pikachu, what's wrong?"

"Pikachu! Pika-pi!" the Pokémon repeated as it began tugging on Professor Oak's hand.

"You're saying that you and Scyther were having a battle and now Scyther won't wake up?" Professor Oak translated as he scrambled to his feet.

"Pikachu!" the Pokémon nodded as it jumped off of the desk and ran out the door.

Professor Oak hurried outside and saw a frightened-looking Ash standing next to Tracey, who was still performing cardiopulmonary resuscitation on the unconscious Scyther.

"Tracey, what happened?" Professor Oak gasped as he knelt beside the Pokémon lying on the ground.

"We were having a battle…Scyther wouldn't stop…I told him to…he just fell over…" Tracey gasped between chest compressions.

"Stop for a second and let me take a look at him, Tracey," Professor Oak ordered his exhausted assistant. Tracey leaned back for a second and tried to catch his breath while Professor Oak quickly examined the Pokémon. "Tracey, we can take Scyther back to the lab and I can attempt to revive him. But there's no guarantee that I'll be able to do it."

"But you can try. Right, Professor?" said Ash with desperate eagerness.

"Ash, _Tracey_ is Scyther's trainer. It's up to him to decide what's best for Scyther," Professor Oak told the terrified boy hovering over his shoulder. He turned his attention back to his young aide and laid a hand on his shoulder. "Tracey, I'll respect your wishes – whatever you decide. Tell me what you want me to do."

Tracey gulped and looked down at the still face of his Pokémon. As he did, memories of battles they had shared throughout the years came rushing back. Then Tracey knew what he had to do -- and it would be one of the hardest things he would ever have to do.

"Thank you, Professor," Tracey said softly as he lifted his Pokémon's head and tenderly placed it in his lap. "But you don't have to bother."

Ash stared at Tracey in disbelief. "You…you're not gonna…you mean you're just going to let Scyther _die_?"

"Ash, Scyther's already gone," Professor Oak told him gently as he stood up.

A horrified Ash continued to stare at Tracey, who was lovingly stroking Scyther's head and trying to choke back the tears forming in his eyes.

"I…I..don't believe it!" Ash shouted in a quavering voice. "If you were a _real_ trainer…if you _really_ loved your Pokémon, you'd do _anything_ to help Scyther!"

"Ash, that's enough!" Professor Oak snapped. "Don't make this any harder for Tracey than it already is!"

Numb with shock and from Professor Oak's harsh words, Ash gaped at the older man for a second, then turned and ran down the hill. "Ash, wait!" Professor Oak called after the boy, but it was too late -- Ash was already out of earshot. "Damn," he swore under his breath, then turned his attention back to Tracey, who was trying hard not to break down weeping. He knelt down next to Tracey and laid a hand on the boy's shoulder. "Come on, Tracey. Let's take Scyther back to the house."

Tracey nodded and the two gently carried Scyther back to the lab.


	2. Chapter 2

"Are you all right, sweetie?" Delia asked her son over dinner. "You haven't even touched your food."

"I'm not hungry," Ash replied sullenly as he stared at mound of food sitting on his plate.

"But deep-dish-chili-cheese-dog-pizza-pie is your favorite," Delia said. "Are you feeling all right?" She leaned over and felt her son's forehead.

"I'm fine, Mom," Ash insisted as he pulled away from her. "I'm gonna go to my room. Come on, Pikachu."

As the boy and his Pokémon headed upstairs, Delia began to worry. Ash was always so outgoing that his silence was unnerving. After putting Ash's untouched dinner back into the oven, she headed upstairs, slowly opened the door to Ash's room, and peeked in.

"Ash?"

Ash, who was lying on his bed with Pikachu atop his chest, jumped at the sound of her voice. "Mom, I told you to knock first." 

"Sorry, honey," Delia replied as came into the room and sat down on the edge of the bed. "It's just that I'm worried about you."

"I'm okay," Ash insisted as he turned away from her.

"I don't think you are," Delia continued. "Why don't you tell me what's bothering you?"

"Nothing, Mom," Ash said as he stared at the wall.

"Honey, I can't help you if you won't tell me what's wrong." Delia laid a comforting hand on her son's shoulder. "Did something happen today when you were at Professor Oak's? You were fine when you left earlier."

"I don't want to talk about it, Mom," Ash insisted as he pulled away from her touch.

"All right, then," Delia said as she stood up. "I'm going to call Professor Oak and ask him what happened. Something is definitely wrong, and I'm going to find out what it is."

Ash rolled over. "All right, Mom. You want to know what happened? Tracey's Scyther _died_ this morning when we were at Professor Oak's place!"

Delia was taken aback by her son's sharp tone. "Oh, Ash. I'm sorry. I…I didn't know. Oh, poor Tracey. No wonder you're so upset."

"Now that you know, can you just leave me and Pikachu alone now?" Ash said as he turned back to face the wall once more.

"Of course, honey," Delia said as she headed for the door. "Are you sure you're going to be all right?"

"Yeah, I'm fine, Mom," Ash insisted, even though he didn't believe that he was ever going to be all right again.

Delia didn't believe him, either.

--- 

Professor Oak had just finished putting away the last Pokémon for the evening. It had taken him longer than usual because he had to attend to Tracey's chores as well as his own. But in light of everything that had happened that morning, he had insisted on doing whatever he could to help alleviate Tracey's grief a little, which included letting the boy have time alone to deal with his loss. After double-checking to make sure all the Pokémon were safely inside their Poké balls, Professor Oak turned out the light in the Pokémon storage area and made his way down the hall to the living room, where Scyther lay in state atop a bier in the middle of the room. Tracey sat on one of the couches nearby with his head bowed over a sketchbook and appeared to be in the middle of drawing something. Intrigued, Professor Oak quietly came up behind his young assistant, peered over his shoulder, and discovered that Tracey was hard at work on one last sketch of Scyther.

"Even in death, Scyther still commands a powerful presence, doesn't he?" Professor Oak said softly.

Startled by the sound of his boss's voice, Tracey whirled around. "Oh, Professor. I didn't hear you come in." 

"I didn't mean to startle you, Tracey," Professor Oak said as he came around to the other side of the couch. "May I see?"

"Sure," Tracey said as he handed Professor Oak his sketchbook. 

"This is wonderful, Tracey," Professor Oak said admiringly as he studied the boy's drawing. "You've certainly captured Scyther's dignity and strength."

"It was the least I could do for him," Tracey said as Professor Oak handed him back his sketchpad. "One last portrait."

"I'm going to go to bed now, Tracey. You should try to get some sleep, too."

Tracey shook his head. "No. I want to stay here with Scyther. He stuck by me all this time, so I'm going to stay with him."

"All right, then," Professor Oak said as he laid his hand on his young friend's shoulder. "But do try to get some sleep."

"'Night, Professor," Tracey called back as Professor Oak headed upstairs and he turned his attention back to his drawing.


	3. Chapter 3

Professor Oak awoke just before 5 AM. He had had a difficult time sleeping and had spent most of the evening tossing and turning. He missed Scyther, but he was also worried about Tracey. He slipped on a bathrobe and silently crept downstairs.

"Tracey?" he whispered softly as he peered into the living room. He then saw Tracey, sketchbook still in hand, sound asleep on the sofa. Being careful not to awaken his young assistant, Professor Oak tiptoed over to the couch, carefully pried the sketchbook from Tracey's grasp, and placed it on the coffee table next to the couch. He then unfolded the blanket that lay atop the couch and spread it atop the sleeping boy.

"Sleep well, Tracey," Professor Oak whispered as he tiptoed out of the room and headed for the kitchen for a cup of tea.

Two hours later, Professor Oak had finished attending to the Pokémon and was sitting down to eat breakfast when there was a knock at the kitchen door. He peeked outside the window and saw a pretty auburn-haired woman standing on the porch.

"Delia?" said a surprised Professor Oak as he opened the door and let her in. "What are you doing here so early this morning?"

"I saw your light on, and decided to take a chance that you might be up," she said as she sat down at the kitchen table.

"Would you like something to eat?" he asked her. "I was just getting ready to have some breakfast."

"Some tea would be nice, if you have any," she replied. He poured each of them a cup and sat down next to her. 

"So how's Tracey doing?" she asked as she took her cup from him. "Ash told me about what happened to Scyther yesterday." 

"Much better than I expected," Samuel replied as he sipped his tea. "He's actually dealing with it surprisingly well."

"Did he get any sleep last night? I was worried about him."

Samuel nodded in the direction of the adjacent room. "He fell asleep on the couch. I'm not going to wake him for a little while."

"Poor Tracey," Delia continued. "It must be so hard on him to lose his friend."

"It is. But it wasn't as if Scyther's death was totally unexpected."

"What do you mean, Samuel?" Delia asked, confused.

"Delia, Scyther was old. Very old. Matter of fact, the oldest document Scyther lived to be twenty-three years old. I can say with certainty that Tracey's Scyther was at least twenty. Matter of fact, I would be willing to venture out on a limb and say that Tracey's Scyther was probably closer to twenty-five."

Delia gasped in amazement. "Samuel, are you saying that Tracey's Scyther was the oldest one _ever_?"

"Well, I'll never be able to prove it since I have no documentation. But yes, I would say that Tracey's Scyther was without a doubt the oldest one I've ever seen in my thirty years as a Pokémon researcher." He paused to take another sip of tea. "And with old age comes age-related problems. Scyther had several – stiffness in the joints, the beginnings of cataracts, some hearing loss -- but during Scyther's last physical, I discovered something even more serious than those."

"What?"

"Scyther was showing signs of heart failure."

Delia's hand flew to her mouth. "Oh no! I didn't know that Scyther was sick."

"I told Tracey that there were several things we could do for Scyther – medication, rest, keep a close eye on his condition."

"Couldn't you operate? Like a heart transplant or something like that?"

"I was reluctant to try surgery because I didn't think Scyther would survive it at his age. I told Tracey that even with the treatment, all we would be doing would be making Scyther more comfortable. Ultimately the heart failure would progress."

"So you think Scyther died of a heart attack?"

Samuel shrugged his shoulders. "Probably. But we'll never know for certain. I offered to perform a necropsy, but Tracey refused." 

"Necropsy? What's that?"

"A Pokémon autopsy. Frankly, I didn't see the point in doing one either, but I thought that I should at least offer Tracey the option. I also offered Tracey the option of resuscitating Scyther after he collapsed yesterday, but Tracey turned me down. I think he made the right decision there."

"Do you think you would've been able to revive Scyther?"

Samuel shook his head. "I doubt it. Not at Scyther's age and with the heart condition. Even if I had been successful, Scyther would've likely died shortly thereafter. And Tracey knew it, too. That was why he chose not to revive Scyther."

Delia brushed away a tear. "That must've been so hard for him to do."

"Actually, I think it was harder for Ash."

"Ash? Why?"

Surprised and a little bit confused by her statement, Samuel looked up from his cup of tea. "Delia, didn't Ash tell you what happened yesterday?"

"All he told me was that Scyther died yesterday. He didn't tell me how it happened." Delia bit her lip. "Lately, he doesn't tell me much of anything."

Noticing that Delia was on the verge of tears, Samuel reached across the table and gently took her hand in his. "Delia, Ash is growing up. When boys grow up, there are some things that they don't want to share with their mothers."

"I know," Delia said with a quavering voice. "But Ash has always shared everything with me. He's always been able to talk to me about anything. But now…" Her voice trailed off as she tried not to break down in tears.

"Delia, you're a good mother," Samuel said reassuringly as he leaned over and gently pulled her close to him. "It's nothing you did. It's just that when boys get older, they tend to confide less in their mothers. It's part of growing up."

"I know," she sniffed as she leaned against his shoulder and buried her head in the warmth of his neck. "But that doesn't mean that I have to like it."

Samuel stroked her hair soothingly while Delia started to cry. "Shh, Delia. It's all right." As her shoulders began to shake, he buried his nose in the silky softness of her hair and murmured words of endearment.

"Delia, sweetheart, don't worry. Everything will be all right." Delia remained in the comfort of his arms until her tears stopped. As she sighed, Samuel hugged her closer to him. "Feel better?"

Delia slowly pulled away from his embrace and wiped her eyes. "I feel so silly. I should be crying for Tracey, not for me."

"Don't feel that way, Delia," Samuel reassured her as he brushed away one of her tears with his fingertip. "You have every right to feel a sense of loss as Ash grows up."

"But I wish he'd tell me what's going on with him. He was so upset yesterday and it was like pulling teeth to get him to tell me that Scyther died."

"Delia, did Ash tell you _how_ Scyther died?"

"No."

Samuel sighed. "I think one reason why Ash is so upset was that he may be feeling as if he's to blame for what happened to Scyther."

"But why would Ash feel that way?"

"Because Tracey and Ash were having a Pokémon battle when Scyther collapsed. And Ash was apparently the one who suggested having the battle in the first place. I think he feels like he may be responsible for Scyther's death. Delia, I want you to tell Ash that he's in _no way_ to blame for what happened to Scyther. Matter of fact, when I was talking to Tracey about it last night, I think Scyther was the one who started the battle. Tracey told me that Scyther provoked Pikachu."

Delia was shocked. "_Scyther?_ But why would Scyther do that if he was so sick? Didn't Tracey try to stop him?"

Samuel nodded. "Yes, Tracey did try to stop him. And Scyther nearly ripped his arm off when he did."

Delia's mouth dropped open. "Scyther did _what_? Is Tracey all right?"

"Yes, Tracey's fine. Scyther missed." Samuel refilled his cup and Delia's with more tea. "And I think the reason Scyther wanted to battle was because he knew he was dying. Pokémon can sense when the moment of death is near. Scyther wanted to die doing what it loved best – fighting. And since Pikachu just happened to be near, Scyther chose it to help him die." Samuel smiled at Delia. "And isn't it better dying in the company of a friend?"

"I suppose so." 

"I'll admit that I was a bit harsh with Ash yesterday. I think we were all upset. And I do apologize. Please tell Ash that I'm sorry about yesterday. If you'd like, I'll talk to him about it."

"Would you? Please? I think Ash might be more likely to open up to another man."

"I will," he said as Delia stood up. 

"I've got to go get breakfast ready for Ash. He didn't touch a thing last night at dinner. I'm sure he's starving by now," Delia said as she made her way to the back door.

"Ash must've been quite upset last night if he refused food," Samuel said as he followed her to the door. "Now I feel terrible about having been so harsh with him yesterday. It's just that he wanted me to revive Scyther and I tried to explain to him that Tracey had to be the one to make that decision, not him."

"Don't feel bad, Samuel," Delia assured him as she reached up and delicately touched his unshaven cheek. "Like you said, all of you were upset yesterday." She looked into his eyes and noticed that they were slightly bloodshot. "How are you doing, by the way? You look pretty worn out yourself."

"I didn't sleep too well last night. I spent most of the night thinking about everything that happened yesterday. I was also worried about Tracey."

"You're a good man, Samuel," Delia smiled as she kissed him softly on the lips. "That's what I love about you."

"I love you too, Delia," he said as he returned her kiss.

"I'll see you later at the funeral," Delia said with a sad smile as she slowly pulled away from his lips. "What time should Ash and I be here?"

"Ten," he replied as he opened the door and Delia stepped outside into the morning sunlight. 

"Looks like it's going to be a nice day," she sighed as a bird chirruped in the tree overhead.

Samuel watched her head back down to the hill to her house. Despite what lay ahead, Delia was right – it was a nice day so far.


	4. Chapter 4

Later that morning, a little group gathered on the hill overlooking Pallet Town. The group of mourners consisted of Professor Oak and Delia; Tracey, who was flanked on either side by Venonat and Marill; Brock and Misty (Professor Oak had called them the night before to tell them about Scyther's death); and Gary (who really didn't want to be there in the first place, but his grandfather had insisted). All of them stood around a wooden coffin that contained the body of the Pokémon that Tracey had come to love over the past couple of years.

Professor Oak kept a small Pokémon cemetery on the grounds of the preserve that surrounded the lab. The day before, he and Tracey had gone there to pick out Scyther's final resting place. As soon as they had arrived at the cemetery, Tracey knew exactly where he wanted Scyther to be buried. Tracey picked up his shovel, walked over to the plot next to a still-fresh grave with a headstone labeled "Marowak", and began digging. (Scyther and Marowak had been fast friends and had spent many hours battling each other until Marowak's death from extreme old age a few weeks earlier.) 

__

Now they'll be together again, Tracey said as he and Professor Oak worked side by side to dig Scyther's grave. _They're probably having a battle right now._

Professor Oak's back still hurt from all the shoveling yesterday. He had been plagued with lower back problems for years and spending several hours digging Scyther's grave yesterday hadn't helped his lumbago at all. 

__

I'm going to have to take something for this later, he thought as he painfully bent over, picked up the huge spray of flowers that Delia had brought, and placed them atop Scyther's wooden coffin. As he finished arranging the flowers, he heard a rustling in the grass behind him. Everyone turned to see a dark-haired boy and a Pikachu step through the bushes surrounding the gravesite.

"Hey, Mom, why did you want me to meet you…?" Ash's face reddened when he realized what was going on; his mother's note had said only "Meet me at Professor Oak's at ten."

"Hello, Ash," Professor Oak smiled kindly at the upset-looking boy. "Thank you for coming." 

When Ash realized that he had just arrived at Scyther's funeral, he began to frantically search for a means of escape. Delia, noticing her son's panicked expression, reached over and grasped his arm.

"Mom," Ash whispered. "I don't want to be here! Tracey…"

"Ash," Delia said firmly, "I know you're upset, but you _are_ going to stay here for the funeral."

When Professor Oak saw that Delia had a firm grip on her son, he cleared his throat and began the ceremony. "Ahem…dearly beloved, we are gathered here today to pay our final respects to our friend Scyther. Scyther will be sorely missed, but today we will honor his memory with memories of our own. Who would like to speak first?"

Everyone looked around uncomfortably until Brock stepped forward.

"I didn't really know Scyther all that well, but after hearing all the stories that Ash and Misty told me about him, it sounded as if he was a very special Pokémon. And it also sounds as if you did a fine job taking care of Scyther in his last months, Tracey. Scyther was lucky to have you as his trainer."

"Thank you, Brock," Tracey said quietly. 

"Anyway….that's all I wanted to say." Brock stepped back into the crowd.

"Thank you, Brock," Professor Oak smiled at the young man. "Who would like to speak next?"

"I will, Professor," Misty volunteered. She stepped forward and faced Scyther's coffin. "Scyther, I'm going to miss you. We all are. Even though I've never been crazy about bug Pokémon…" This comment drew a soft laugh from the congregation. "…You were one of the few ones that I liked." Misty then went over to Tracey and gave him a hug. "I'm so sorry, Tracey."

"Thanks, Misty," he replied as he returned her embrace.

Misty then returned to her place in the crowd. 

"I'll go next," Professor Oak said as he looked down at the mass of yellow and white flowers atop the coffin. "Scyther, it was an honor for me know you during these past few months. Your determination, your strength, your bravery in the midst of battle were an inspiration to us all. And despite the frailties of age, you didn't let that keep you from living your life to the fullest." He turned to his assistant. "Tracey, you were willing to take a chance with Scyther when the others in his group rejected him. You helped Scyther when you found him injured and helped restore his pride and self-confidence. And that says a lot about your character. You're a fine young man, Tracey. And you're also an excellent Pokémon trainer. Brock was right – Scyther was fortunate to have you as his friend. And Misty, you're right, too. We will all miss Scyther very much."

By now, tears were streaming down the faces of everyone but Gary, who wished he could be somewhere else, and Ash, who was trying hard not to cry.

Professor Oak bit his lip. He was starting to get choked up, too. "Anyone else like to say anything? Gary?"

Gary winced. "Grandpa, do I have to?" His grandfather gave him a look that told him that he'd better say something if he knew what was good for him. Conceding defeat, Gary awkwardly stepped forward. "Uh, Scyther was a strong Pokémon, even if he was ancient. And Tracey, you did do a good job taking care of him." Gary shuffled his foot and stared down at the ground. "I'm done."

Professor Oak sighed. Sometimes his grandson's attitude really got on his nerves. "Anyone else?" 

"I'd like to say something," Delia volunteered as she stepped forward and gave the man she loved a quick smile. She then turned to face Tracey. "Tracey, I know how much you loved Scyther. And Scyther loved you, too. I remember that one day that the two of you helped me cut down those thorn bushes in my garden…well, the both of you were so nice and helpful. And I could tell that the two of you had a special bond. And even though Scyther's gone, that bond you two had will never be broken."

"Thanks, Mrs. K," Tracey sniffed as she went over and hugged him.

Moved by her words, Professor Oak wished he could hug Delia too, but he knew that wouldn't be appropriate right now. "Does anyone have anything else to say?" he asked as Delia returned to her spot in the crowd. 

As everyone stared at Ash, Delia gave her son a nudge forward. "Mom, don't," Ash whispered as Delia nudged him again. Feeling everyone's eyes upon him, Ash swallowed the lump in his throat and stared at the mound of flowers on the casket in front of him. "Uh…" Ash stammered as he attempted to clear his throat. "I…I just want to say that I'm sorry, Scyther. I'm sorry about what happened." Ash turned his red eyes to Tracey. "Trace, I'm…I'm sorry." Ash quickly retreated to his place in the crowd next to his mother. Pikachu then picked a little red wildflower at its feet, leapt atop Scyther's casket, and placed it in the middle of the other flowers.

"Pika," it said softly. ("Goodbye, friend.")

Venonat and Marill, each holding a single white rose, then stepped forward and placed their flowers atop their friend's casket. 

"Marill," the little blue mouse Pokémon sobbed. ('I'll miss you, Scyther.")

"Venonat," agreed the big-eyed bug Pokémon.

As the two weeping Pokémon returned to their place in the crowd, Tracey knelt down to comfort his two remaining Pokémon.

"It's all right, guys…it'll be all right," Tracey said as he choked back the tears he had been trying so hard to suppress throughout the ceremony.

Misty, moved by the tender scene, began to cry. Brock, who also had tears streaming down his face, leaned over and took her in his arms. Embarrassed by all the crying going on around him, Gary continued to stare uncomfortably at the ground. 

"Then this concludes the ceremony," Professor Oak announced as he wished he could go over and comfort Delia, who was dabbing at her eyes with a tissue.

"That was so beautiful," Misty sniffed as she and Brock went over to where Ash was standing. 

"Are you okay, Ash?" asked Brock. "Professor Oak said that you were there when it happened."

"We tried calling you last night, but your mom said that you'd already gone to bed," Misty said.

"So you killed Scyther," Gary smirked as he came swaggering up to Ash. "I didn't realize Pikachu was so powerful. Any Pokémon that kills another one must be pretty tough."

"Shut up, Gary!" Misty said angrily.

"Gary, leave Ash alone," Brock warned. 

But Gary couldn't resist the opportunity to taunt his lifelong rival. "Oooh, guess I'd better watch out, or else you and Piakchu might do me in, too!"

"LEAVE ME ALONE!" shouted Ash as he turned and ran down the hill.

"Ash, wait!" cried Brock.

Professor Oak, who was busy murmuring words of comfort to Delia, whirled around at the sound of the two boys fighting and saw Ash, with Pikachu at his heels, jump over the fence that surrounded the cemetery and disappear in the fields beyond it.

"Ash!" yelled Delia as her son vanished in the distance.

"You jerk!" Misty yelled as she sent a right hook flying in Gary's direction. It connected, and sent Gary crashing to the ground. 

"That's enough!" Professor Oak ordered as he and Delia came running up to the fighting teens.

"He asked for it!" Misty fumed as she glared at Gary, who lay moaning on the ground.

"He accused Ash and Pikachu of killing Scyther," Brock explained to the two adults. "We told him to leave Ash alone, but he wouldn't."

"Is this true, Gary?" Professor Oak asked his grandson. Gary, who was busy trying to stop the blood gushing from his nose, said nothing, but Professor Oak could tell from his grandson's expression that Gary was indeed guilty of provoking Ash. "We'll talk more about this later, Gary," Professor Oak said with a stern expression as he handed his grandson a handkerchief. "Meanwhile, sit up and pinch your nostrils shut. The bleeding will stop in a few minutes."

"I'm going to go look for Ash," Misty said as she gave Gary one last disgusted glance and then headed down the hill.

"I'm coming with you too, Misty," said Brock as he went to join her.

"Ash didn't kill Scyther," said Tracey as he came up to where Professor Oak was administering first aid to his injured grandson. "And neither did Pikachu. Scyther was dying, Gary. And he wanted to die fighting in battle, so that's why he wanted Pikachu to fight with him. It wasn't Ash's fault."

"Tracey, why don't you take Gary back to the house and see if you can find him an ice pack?" Professor Oak said as he helped his grandson to his feet. "I'll be along shortly." And Gary knew from the expression on his grandfather's face that he wasn't going to like it when his grandfather did arrive.

"Samuel, we've got to find Ash," Delia said frantically as Tracey led Gary away. "He might get hurt running around the preserve."

"Delia, he'll be all right. He knows the grounds of the preserve as well as I do. He's spent his whole life running around here. Besides, there are times when you have to let him go, remember?" he said as he softly caressed her cheek. 

Delia smiled slightly, recalling their conversation from earlier that morning. "I remember."

"Don't worry," he assured her as he drew her into his arms. "Either Brock or Misty will find him. I didn't realize that girl had such a powerful right hook."

"Misty is pretty headstrong," Delia said as she snuggled in the comfort of his arms.

"Maybe she knocked some sense into Gary. Speaking of which, I still need to go have a little talk with my grandson." Reluctantly, he parted from her soft warmth. "Come on. Let's head back to the lab."


	5. Chapter 5

Misty found Ash and Pikachu sitting under a tree at the edge of the forest on the north side of the preserve.

"Ash?"

"Hey, Misty," he replied dully as he flung the branch he was playing with into the nearby pond. 

"Are you okay? Brock and I have been looking all over for you. We were all worried about you."

"Including Gary?" he retorted sarcastically.

"Don't worry, I took care of him," Misty said as she looked down at her bruised knuckles. "I shut that smart mouth of his."

Ash's eyebrows shot up in surprise when he saw her injured hand. "You _hit_ him?"

"He asked for it, the stupid jerk," Misty replied as she sat down next to Ash. "How are you doing?"

Ash shrugged his shoulders. "Okay, considering that Gary was right. I did kill Scyther."

Misty's mouth fell open. "Ash, that's not true."

"Oh come on, Misty, it is! It's true! If I hadn't challenged Tracey and Scyther to a battle, then Scyther might still be alive right now."

"You don't know that, Ash. I mean, Scyther was pretty old."

"All the more reason why I shouldn't have asked them to battle." Ash leaned over and picked up the little yellow Pokémon sitting by his side. "I know it wasn't your fault, Pikachu. You were just doing what I told you to do. I…I'm the one to blame for what happened to Scyther."

"No, you're not, Ash." The two friends turned and saw Professor Oak standing behind them. "You're not responsible for Scyther's death."

"Thanks for trying to cheer me up, Professor, but it won't do any good. Misty's already tried," Ash said flatly as he stroked Pikachu's fur.

"Misty, could you excuse us for a moment?" Professor Oak asked the red-haired girl. "I need to speak with Ash alone. How's your hand, by the way?"

Misty smiled slightly as she rubbed her bruised knuckles. "A little sore, but not too bad."

"Why don't you head back to the lab and ask Tracey for some ice to put on that?" Professor Oak told her as he went over to where Ash sat. "Oh, and Misty…you were right. Gary did ask for it."

Misty grinned and headed down the path to the Oak house.

"So are you gonna try to tell me that Scyther's death wasn't my fault either, Professor Oak?" Ash asked the older man as he sat down next to him.

"Yes," Professor Oak said as he scratched Pikachu's head. "Ash, did your mother tell you that she stopped by to see me this morning?"

"No," replied Ash as he kicked at a pebble at his feet. "By the time I woke up this morning, Mom had already left to run some errands. She left me a note saying to meet her here at ten. I didn't know it was for Scyther's….Scyther's funeral."

"Ash, if you had known that it was for Scyther's funeral, would you have come?"

Ash shook his head. "No. I'm surprised Tracey didn't haul off and hit _me _during the funeral after what I did to Scyther."

"Ash, you didn't do anything to Scyther. Scyther was already dying."

Ash whirled around in surprise. "Dying?" 

Professor Oak nodded. "Yes. Scyther was suffering from heart failure. He didn't have much longer to live. I knew it, and Tracey knew it too."

"But…but if Scyther was so sick, then why did Tracey let him battle? Why didn't he just keep Scyther inside his Poké ball all the time so he could rest?"

"Because Tracey knew that Scyther wouldn't be happy that way. As Scyther's trainer, Tracey knew what was best for his Pokémon. Even though it may have shortened the time Scyther had left, I think Scyther's last days were happier because Tracey did let him battle."

"But he still died because I asked him to battle," Ash said sadly. "It's still my fault."

"No, Ash. After talking to Tracey, I believe that Scyther was the one who started the battle." Professor Oak addressed the Pokémon sitting in Ash's lap. "Pikachu, did Scyther provoke you into battling with him?"

Pikachu nodded. "Pika."

"Ash, Scyther knew he was dying and he wanted to go out fighting. That's why he challenged Pikachu to a battle." Professor Oak patted Pikachu's head comfortingly. "This wasn't your fault, Pikachu. And it wasn't yours either, Ash. I was hoping that your mother would've told you that before the funeral."

Ash looked somewhat irritated at this remark. "Mom was talking to you about me?"

"Ash, your mother was worried about you. She said you didn't eat a thing last night."

"I wish she'd butt out sometimes," Ash said crossly. "I'm not a baby anymore."

"I know you're not," Professor Oak smiled. "But she still thinks of you as her little boy."

"Yeah, well, I'm not a little kid anymore," Ash said as he turned away from Professor Oak. "I've been out on my own for over a year and she still tells me to change my…you know…every day."

Professor Oak stifled a grin. "Ash, it's hard for your mother to let you go. Just like it was hard for Tracey to let Scyther go."

"Professor, if you had tried to help Scyther, do you think it would've done any good? Would you have been able to revive him?"

Professor Oak shook his head. "No. I honestly don't think anything I could've done would've helped Scyther. It was Scyther's time. And Tracey knew that. That's what I was trying to tell you yesterday, Ash. It was up to Tracey to decide what was best for his Pokémon, not you. And I apologize for being so curt with you yesterday, Ash. I think we were all upset yesterday."

"How's Tracey doing?"

"He's holding up pretty well, although I think he could use a friend right now. Why don't you go back to the lab and see him?"

"He doesn't blame me for what happened to Scyther, does he?" Ash said anxiously.

"No, Ash. He doesn't," Professor Oak reassured him. "No one does."

"Except Gary," Ash said bitterly.

"Don't worry about Gary," Professor Oak said. "I had a little talk with my grandson before I came down here. I told him that if he ever said anything like that again, I'd sic Misty on him."

Even Ash couldn't keep a straight face at that remark. "Yeah, Misty can hit pretty hard for a girl. Believe me, Professor, I know."

"It's nice to see you're feeling better, Ash," Professor Oak said Ash got to his feet. Professor Oak attempted to get off the ground and stopped as a sharp twinge of pain shot through his lower back. "Ash, could you give me a hand? My back's acting up again."

"Sure, Professor." Ash helped the older man to his feet. 

"Thanks, my boy," Professor Oak replied as he massaged his back. "I overdid it yesterday and my back's killing me. It's been getting worse all day."

"Why don't you ask Mom for something to make you feel better?" Ash suggested. "She likes having someone to fuss over."

"I think I'll do that, Ash," Professor Oak smiled. Ash had been reading his mind.

"And that way, she'll be too busy with you to ask me how I'm doing every five minutes."

Professor Oak laughed heartily at Ash's comment as the two headed down the path to the lab.


	6. Chapter 6

"It's all right, Marill," Tracey consoled his weeping Pokémon. "I know you miss Scyther. I know you guys were really close friends. I miss him, too." Tracey picked up his little blue Pokémon and placed it on his bed. "There, Marill. Why don't you try to get some sleep? I know that none of us slept well last night."

"Marill," the little Pokémon sniffed sadly as Tracey covered it with a blanket.

"Want to take a nap too, Venonat?" Tracey asked the Pokémon standing at his feet.

"Venonat," the bug-type Pokémon nodded as it hopped on the bed next to Marill. As Tracey spread the blanket on it, there was a knock at the door. 

"Hey, Tracey," Ash said with a shaky smile. "How're you doing?"

"Okay," Tracey replied. "But Marill and Venonat are taking it pretty hard. Let's let them get some sleep." Tracey closed the door to his room and the two boys headed downstairs. "So where did you go? We were all worried about you."

"I…I just went for a walk, that's all," Ash replied as the two went into the living room.

"That was a pretty nasty thing Gary said to you earlier," Tracey said angrily. "If Misty hadn't slugged him, I would've."

"Is Misty okay?" Ash asked.

"Yeah, she's fine. But you should see Gary's nose – it's purple and about twice the size it normally is!" 

Both Tracey and Ash chuckled. "She and Brock left a little while ago. They said they were going to get everyone some lunch and bring it back here. Your Mom's with Professor Oak -- something about his back acting up again." Tracey started taking apart the bier that Scyther had lain upon until a couple of hours ago.

Noticing the sketchbook lying on the coffee table, Ash picked it up and gasped.

"Wow, Tracey. This drawing you did of Scyther is awesome."

Tracey peered over his friend's shoulder. "Thanks. I just wanted to do one last drawing to remember him by. I'll never forget Scyther."

"Yeah, he was a great Pokémon, wasn't he, Tracey?"

"Yeah, he was," Tracey smiled. "Stubborn, too. Almost as stubborn as you."

"Hey, what do you mean by that, Tracey?" 

"Sounds like everything's back to normal with the boys again," Professor Oak smiled as he overheard Tracey and Ash squabbling in the hallway below. 

"Take off your shirt and let me put some of this vapor rub on your back," Delia said as she emerged from the bathroom adjacent to Professor Oak's bedroom. 

"Mmm, Delia, that feels wonderful," Samuel sighed as removed his shirt and lay down on the bed, and Delia began massaging vapor rub on his lower back. 

"Why didn't you tell me earlier that your back was bothering you?" Delia scolded.

"I didn't want to anyone to make a fuss over me," Samuel replied as he closed his eyes in contentment and regretted not telling Delia about his back earlier.

Delia sighed. "You sound just like Ash. And now see where it's gotten you?"

"Mmm-hmm," Samuel sighed blissfully as Delia's smooth hands slowly caressed his back.

"I want you to tell me when something's wrong with you, understand?" Delia ordered as she put the top back on the tube of vapor cream. "Otherwise, I can't help you."

"Yes, ma'am," Samuel yawned as the muscle relaxant he had taken earlier began to take effect. 

"Well, I'll let you rest now," Delia said as she put the tube of cream down on the nightstand. 

"Don't leave yet, Delia," Samuel said as he turned his head in her direction. "Unlike Ash, I like it when you make a fuss over me."

Delia smiled as he reached for her arm. "Scoot over." 

He moved aside to make room for Delia next to him on the bed and wrapped an arm around her waist. "I don't know what I'd do without you to take care of me. It's funny…when we're younger, we bristle at having someone fussing over us, but when we're older, it's the nicest thing in the world." Samuel snuggled closer to her, closed his eyes, and less than a minute later was snoring softly in her ear.

Delia smiled to herself, gave the man asleep next to her a soft kiss on the cheek, then closed her eyes. 

Men were funny creatures.


	7. Chapter 7

Several days later, Tracey and Marill stood at the edge of Scyther's still-fresh grave.

"Hey, Scyther," Tracey said softly as he placed a handful of fresh-cut irises on his friend's grave. "Just wanted you to know that I finished working in the garden and thought you might like some of these. After all, you helped me weed them the other day." Marill picked out the largest flower in the bouquet and laid it on the headstone labeled "Scyther". 

"Marill misses you too, Scyther," Tracey continued. 

"Marill," the little blue Pokémon said in agreement as it ran its paw over the lettering on the stone marking its friend's final resting place. 

A fluttering of wings overhead caused the two of them to look up. "Venomoth," said a large, purple-winged Pokémon as it landed next to Marill.

"Oh yeah, Venonat evolved into Venomoth yesterday, Scyther. I wish you could've been there to see it," Tracey said as he patted the bug Pokémon's head. "We were having a battle with Ash and Pikachu when it happened. At first, Ash didn't want to battle after what happened the other day, but now I think he's glad that we did. _I'm_ glad that we did. Right, Venomoth?"

"Venomoth," the Pokémon nodded as Marill climbed onto its back. As Venomoth gave its friend a ride above the cemetery, Tracey heard a scuffling and a soft "pika-pika" behind him.

"Wow, look at Venomoth and Marill," Ash said as he and Pikachu climbed over the fence surrounding the graveyard. "Looks like they're having a great time."

"Yeah, and it wouldn't have happened if it hadn't been for you and Pikachu," Tracey smiled at his friend as Venomoth swooped down and Pikachu traded places with Marill. "Thanks."

The two boys watched the happy Pokémon fly overhead for a minute, then Tracey spoke up. "I hear you're getting ready to continue your journey."

"Yeah. Mom didn't seem too upset about me leaving this time. I think it's because she's spending more time with Professor Oak lately."

"Yeah, they do spend a lot of time together, don't they?"

"I guess. As long as she's too busy fussing over him to ask me about changing my you-know-whats every day, then that's okay with me."

"Do you think she tells Professor Oak that?" Tracey said, stifling a giggle.

"Probably," Ash replied as Venomoth landed and Pikachu came scampering up to his trainer. "Well, we'd better get going - Brock and Misty are waiting. You can come too, Tracey, if you want."

Tracey bent down to pick up Marill. "Thanks, Ash, but my place is here at the lab. Besides, Professor Oak said that Professor Ivy sent him a Gyrados this morning and wanted to know if I'd be interested in helping train it."

"Well, you ought to be good at that after you helped Doctor Quackenpoker with his Magikarp research back in the Orange Islands."

"We'll see," Tracey said as Venomoth took off again and the two boys and their Pokémon headed for the cemetery entrance. "Take care of yourself, Ash."

"You too, Tracey," Ash replied as Pikachu hopped on his shoulder. "See ya' around." 

Tracey waved as Ash and Pikachu disappeared out of sight down the hill. "It's hard saying goodbye to a friend, isn't it, Marill?"

"Marill," the Pokemon nodded.

"But sometimes letting someone or something go is for the best, right?"

Marill nodded again.

"Come on, Marill. Let's go see the Professor's new Gyrados. Maybe we'll make a new friend today."

And the two headed back to the lab.

THE END


End file.
